Vehicle top-prop



(No Model.)

B. N. PELZER. VEHICLE TOP-PROP.

No. 294,903. Patented Mar. 11, 1884.

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EDiVARD NICHOLAS PELZER, OF IONIA, MICHIGAN.

VEHICLE TOP-PROP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 294,903, dated March11, 1884.

' Application filed January 4, 1884. (No model.)

[ g'ies, carriages, and other vehicles; and itghas for its objecttoprovide a device which will be simple and compact in construction, andwhen applied to the vehicle-top will firmly and efficiently hold theparts together, so that all danger or liability of loosening by constantuse will be avoided.

A further object of my invention is to construct the top-prop in such amanner as to prcvent it from striking or catching in the wheels or otherpart of the vehicle when the top is folded down. Top-props are fastenedto vehicle-tops for the purpose of receiving the joints, and therebyforming a support, and hence it is desirable in a suitable top-prop thatit should be firm when secured together, and

that no portion of it will loosen while in use. Furthermore, it isspecially desirable that the top-prop should beas short as practicable,in order to prevent it from striking or catching 0 in the wheels orother part of the vehicle when r the top is folded down.

Heretofore top-props have been constructed with the end of the post orstem screw-threaded to receive binding-nuts for holding the henconstructed in this manner, the joints of the top work against the nutand gradually loosen the same until it drops off. Sometimes a washer isplaced between the nutand the joints, and nutlocks v4o are also used toprevent the nut from working,

loose, thus making the top-prop expensive in construction, and yet notholding thejoints .in such amanner as would be desired. Moreover,top-props requiring a threaded end and 5 nut attachment are necessarilylong, and are liable to catch in the wheels or other parts of thevehicle when the top is folded down.

To obviate these disadvantages and attain the objects hereinbeforereferred to, the said invention consists in certain details of construction and combination of parts, as herein.- after fully set forth,and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view, illustrating theapplication of my improved top-prop. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of thetop-prop detached. Fig. 8 is a detail view of the several parts of thetop-. prop. Fig. 4. is a longitudinal sectional view.

Like letters of reference indicate correspond ing parts in the severalfigures.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the base-plate, attached to thebows of the top by any desired number of screws, a, passing throughopenings in the plate. I do not limit myself to this manner of securingthe baseplate to the top, as any other means may be employed when founddesirable. A circular wall, B, screw-threaded on its exterior face,projects from the base-plate and formed integral therewith, said wallhaving a dovetail slot, C, extending centrally through the same.

D designates the stem or post, havlng a head, E, formed therewith at itsouter end, the mner end, F, of the stem being dovetailed, as shown,while the body is formed cylindrical to receive a collar or sleeve, G.The latter is provided with exteri orly-screw-threadeddovetailedprojections IL 11 opposite each other, which are concaved ontheir inner faces to fit around and over the rounded surface ofthedovetailed end F, the flat inwardly-diverging sides of which are adaptedto coincide with the flat ends of the projections H H.

I designates a clamping-cap, formed with screw-threads on its interiorsurface and fitting over the sleeve G, said cap engaging with thescrew-threads formed on the projections H H and the wall B. It will beseen that the sleeve G fits over the body of the stem or post, theprojections H H fitting around the sur face of the end F, so that thediverging flat ends of the projections coincide with the diverging sidesof the ends. Thus the pr0jections H H and the end F, when combinedtogether as above described and shown, form a dovetailed or wedge sharmdpiece,whichfits entirely within the dovetailed slot 0, the screwthreaded exterior surface of the projections coinciding with the outerscrew-threaded surface of the wall B. The clamping-cap I fits around thesleeve and engages with the screwthreads on the wall 13 and projectionsII II.

The operation of my invention will be readily understood from theforegoingdescription, taken in connection with the annexed drawings.

\Vhen the vehicle-top and its joints have been properly prepared for thereception of the top-prop, the base-plate is secured to the bow, so asto permit thelarge end of the dovetailed slot 0 to face upwardly. Thepost or stem D is then passed through the eyes of the joints, which restagainst the head of the post. The clamping-cap is then placed over thesleeve or collar, and the inner end of the post or stem is pushed intothe said sleeve or collar, so as to form in combination the wedge ordovetailed piece which fits within the dovetail slot 0 of the wall I3.The clamping-cap is then turned down upon the base-plate, so that thepost or stem and the sleeve or collar will befirmlyheld together withinthe slot of the circular wall.

The advantages of my invention are numerous, but I shall simply recite afew of them here.

By forming the stem and head in one piece I obviate the use of a nut andavoid the difficulty heretofore experienced of the nut working loose bycontact with the joint and finally dropping off. It also makes thetop-prop shorter than ordinarily, thereby lessening all danger of theprop catching or striking against the wheels or other parts of thevehicle.

It will be seen that the simple manner of fitting the post and collar tothe bed or base plate permits the ready attachment of the partstogether. By means of the clamping-cap the parts are held fromseparating, and when it is desired to withdraw the stem or post theclamping-cap is loosened and moved out of engagement with theserew-threads on the wall 13. The inner end, F, and the collar G- arethen withdrawn from the slot C and the post or stem is drawn out, aswill be seen.

My improved top-prop is simple, durable, and inexpensive in constructionand effective and reliable when in use. By its use the vehicle-top willbe held securely at all times, and yet be capable of being detached asdesired. There will be no screw-threads to work loose, since the partsare fitted together in such a manner as to provide against anypossibility of this occurrin It will be apparent that I may make variousmodifications in the details of construction without departing from thespirit or scope of my invention.

Having described my invention, I claim as new 1. In a vehicle top-prop,the combination, with the bed or base plate, of a post or stem having ahead formed integral therewith at one end, a sleeve or collar encirclingthe inner end of the stem, and a clamping-cap securing the partstogether, as set forth.

2. In a top-prop, the combination, with the bed or base plate having aslot, of a post or stem having its inner end entering the slot of thebase-plate, a sleeve or collar, and a clamp ing-cap, as set forth.

3. In a top-prop, the combination, with the base-plate having a wallprojecting therefrom, and a slot in said wall, of a post or stem, asleeve or collar fitting around the said post or stem, and aclamping-cap working over the said sleeve or collar, the inner end ofthe stem and collar fitting within the slot in the wall, as set forth.

a. In atop-prop, the combination, with the base-plate having a wallprojecting outwardly therefrom, and a slot in said wall, of a post orstem, a sleeve or collar having projections fitting around the inner endof the post, said projections having screw-threads formed on theirexterior faces, and a clamping-cap fitting over the collar and engagingwith the screw threads, as set forth.

5. In a top-prop, the combination, with the base-plate A, having wall B,provided with dovetailed slot 0, of thepost or stem having its end Idovetailed, a sleeve or collar, G, having dovetailed projections II II,and a clamping-cap, as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDIVAIID NICHOLAS IELZER.

\Vitnesses:

G. F. Frsu'nn, 'GEORGE I PICKIIAI'l-ZR.

